There are many types of protective coverings and garments available to protect one's clothes from the damaging effects of dirt, chemicals, and moisture. For instance, in hair care establishments, these garments are most commonly in the form of a cape or apron.
Such protective apparel is worn by both hairdressers and clients as protection against chemicals and shampoos while shampooing, treating, cutting, or dying a client's hair. For barber shop or salon clients, which include young children to older adults, the cape also tends to keep irritating hair clippings away from clothes and skin. Traditionally, the capes are fabricated from a sheet of cloth fabric or synthetic material such as nylon or plastic, which is draped over the client's shoulders and tied or clasped together in the front or back of the client's neck.
Although prior art capes utilized in salons provide adequate protection, in today's environment of reliance upon personal electronic devices (e.g., a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a cell phone, a smart phone such as iPhone® or Blackberry®, an electronic reading device such as the Amazon Kindle® or Apple iPad®, a music playing device such as an iPod® or other MP3 player, or game device such as the Nintendo DS®), there is currently a drawback to using such prior art capes.
For example, a user of a cape is prevented from gaining access to their personal electronic device, which at times is a necessity. For instance, a user typically retains their cell phone around their waist portion (e.g., secured to a belt) or in a pocket. Thus, when a user is wearing a protective cape and is required to gain access to their cell phone for an important call or message (e.g., to determine whom is trying to reach them, which may be an emergency situation), the user is forced to manipulate or remove the protective cape which interrupts the ongoing procedure. Further, a protective cape user who is having a procedure performed upon them may make sudden movements to gain visual access to their personal electronic device thus creating a potentially dangerous situation wherein the user may be exposing themselves to dangerous chemicals by manipulating the cape or to harmful exposure to a pair of hair shears or razor product currently being used in the procedure through sudden body movements.
It is also noted if a protective cape user was permitted access through the protective cape to their personal electronic device (e.g., for communication with others, reading, playing games, listening to music, etc.), the user would be provided a more pleasant experience during the duration of a procedure being performed upon them as in a hair salon. For hair care establishments serving younger, more active clients, additional productivity benefits would be derived by focusing attention on an electronic device thereby creating a sedentary client.
The present invention seeks to solve these deficiencies.